Ndumiso Gumede refutes old people's home stay reports

FORMER Highlanders and veteran football administrator Ndumiso Gumede (71) has cleared the air on rumours circulating in Bulawayo that he is now a resident of an Old People's Home.

Ironically, the old people's home where Gumede is said to have taken up residence is located a stone's throw from the Highlanders Clubhouse.

"It's not like I'm staying at an old people's home. I actually have a room at a place where senior citizens stay. The place is called Coronation Cottages and it is just near the Highlanders Clubhouse," said the outspoken former Bosso chief executive officer.

"I stay at my rural home in Inyathi and I use the room at the Coronation Cottages when I come to town (Bulawayo)," he added.

Interestingly he doesn't pay rent.

Although the senior citizen claims he is now detached from football matters, it seems his heart is still at Bosso.

He revealed that he is currently preparing to host Highlanders outreach team that will soon seek to scout for football talent at schools in and around his rural home.

"As I speak to you I'm in Inyathi busy trying to prepare on how I will host the Highlanders outreach team which will come here to scout for talent at schools in and round Inyathi," said Gumede, a divorcee since 1993.

Red-hot Bosso and national team striker Prince Dube (20) was plucked from the thickets of Inyathi before he made his Bosso senior debut last year.

Gumede is a former Zifa vice-president and he served the local football mother body in different capacities since being invited as a committee member by then Youth, Sport and Recreation Minister Joice Mujuru in 1980.

He is also an ex-Zifa secretary general, Zifa vice-chairman, Zifa committee member, Zifa CEO, a member of the Caf Appeals Committee, Highlanders chairman, ex-ZBC continuity announcer and actor.

He was Sports Master while teaching at Highfield Secondary School in 1969 before he became a Highlanders executive's representative in Harare in 1974. He started teaching at Mzilikazi High School in 1975.

In the same year he joined the Highlanders Fundraising Committee.

He became Bosso's executive chairman in 1978. In 1979 he reportedly played a big role in making sure that the club returned to the Super League following their breakaway in 1975 to form the South Zone.

He waved goodbye to local football at a time he was a member of the Fifa Interpol Match Fixing Prevention Programme.